Oh, you want to begrudge the 6-foot-6 junior-to-be (and countryís top 2016 recruit) the chance to finish his high school career at a new academy outside San Francisco?

Then how about we close down Interlochen Center for the Arts? You know the place, right?

Itís an arts academy in northern Michigan that attracts some of the most promising teenage actors and dancers and painters and musicians in the country. Itís expensive and exclusive.

And as far as I can tell, no one has made a peep about the kids who attend it. Nor should they.

Just as we shouldnít say anything about Jacksonís decision to leave Detroit Consortium, except to wish him well, as we would any number of other prodigies in any number of other disciplines who seek out the places they think will challenge them.

Look, itís in our cultural DNA to greet genius with unease, mostly because we pretend to abhor elitism. But weíre also savvy enough to know that when a 14-year-old can decipher equations written by mathematicians at MIT, he belongs among those who can do the same.

So we write news stories celebrating the brainpower or musical gift and marvel, until it comes to basketball players.

Then we snarl.

Or proselytize.

Or accuse the kid and family of chasing money.

Because, well, wow, how dare an American make a choice based on cash.

Even worse is the notion kids such as Jackson are subverting the organic high school experience and making a mockery of team ball. You play where you are from, damn it. Be grateful.

Because really, how can we possibly live with a traveling group of talented kids looking to gauge themselves against a similarly talented group of talented kids?

Yes, some of the kids recruited by prep academies want more notice. So what?

Plenty of them want more structure, better competition and an atmosphere dedicated to the thing they do best in life. Isnít that what places such as Interlochen are for?

Why shouldnít these kids want to gain traction?

I heard some suggest that since Jackson shot up the recruiting rankings while playing in Detroit, he didnít need a bigger stage. But that is not up to us to decide.

Sure, it wounds the pride a bit. Detroit ó and this state in general ó used to be a basketball hotbed, a place that measured up against any other in the country. And it has been at least a decade since the rest of the country thought so highly of one of our basketball prospects. No doubt that stings, too.

The hoops identity here is changing. Jacksonís move amplifies that.

He is headed to a place called Prolific Prep, an academy in Napa Valley so new it hasnít opened yet. Itís founder, Jeremy Russotti, declined to talk about Jacksonís attendance but told the Free Press last week a news conference was scheduled for August.

I have no idea what kind of school Prolific Prep will be. Nor whether Russotti will deliver on whatever promises he made to Jackson and his family.